Going to the party, Juvia realized as she stood on the edge of a crowded room, her back to the wall and beer spilled down the front of her dress, had not been a good idea.
It had certainly seemed like one when she had stood with her friends, dusting makeup onto her face. Lucy had brought her a shiny new dress that caught the lights in a sparkling array of color; Cana had brought a case of golden beer to bring to the host, and the bottle clinked together as she walked, a merry sound; Levy brought a bag full of chips and dips and candies and drinks, and spread out her treasures on Juvia's bed, showcasing her treats happily; and Erza had brought with her the promise of cute boys, of friends-of-friends who'd be on the lookout for cute blue-haired girls in sparkling dresses, and she spoke of romance and dancing as she dusted blush onto her cheeks; and Juvia had believed that it would be fun—a night of dancing and romance, as her friends had promised.
But it wasn't long after they had stepped into the crowded house that Juvia found herself standing alone, surrounded by drunk people, a half-empty cup in her hand and tears stinging at the corners of her eyes. Her friends had staggered off somewhere, drunk on beer and pizza rolls, leaving her completely alone and completely lost in a strange house. She was sure that Erza was off somewhere, yelling at someone—probably her boyfriend, Jellal, or any other random stranger she came across. She would have been surprised if Lucy hadn't already coerced Natsu into purring for her. And if Levy wasn't laughing at the strangest things—a bag of dog food, for example, or a book cover, or, most likely, her boyfriend's pouty face as she tugged on his ears and his hair, giggling madly all the way—then Juvia would be amazed.
Once they had left, it hadn't taken very long for Juvia to grow tired of the party, and of the drunken party-goers stumbling around. Standing on the very edge of the room, surrounded by people, with someone's beer sloshed down her shirt—the sticky aftereffect of an untimely fall—she began to want to go home. She would have left, and driven back—except her head buzzed with the thick feeling of drunkenness, her thoughts slurred and slow. The alcohol slowed her movements and set tears into her eyes, and a lump in her throat.
She shook her head, and set her cup down on the nearest table. She knew that she had to get out, that she had to get some fresh air, but she had absolutely no idea where she was going. The brightly flashing strobe lights and loud, pounding music disoriented her, making her trip and stumble around, and the hallways, crowded with people, were unfamiliar. Whose house was she at again? She couldn't seem to remember.
She came to a glass door and pushed it open, staggering out into a backyard, lit solely by the fairy lights strung from the roof to the trees. She stepped into the chilly evening, gratefully leaving the alcohol filled house behind, and wavered where she stood, taking deep breaths of the peaceful night air. Where were her friends? When would she get to go home? Her stomach churned with anxiety.
There was a cough, someone clearing their throat to her left, and Juvia jumped, finally noticing the only other occupant of the peaceful backyard. He crossed his arms over his chest—bare, as Juvia noticed; it was bare and muscular and oh why was it suddenly so hot I thought it was September—and looked her up and down.
"You alright, miss?" he asked, and Juvia felt herself tearing up, because no one in the entire drunken mess behind her had thought to ask—or maybe it was simply the booze sending tears to her eyes and tremors to her hands and legs.
She nodded. "I'm alright," she said, though her voice cracked.
And then, with the intensity of a rushing wave, the beer loosened her tongue and it all came rushing out, and, her voice rushed and breathy, she said, "I came here with my friends a-and now I can't find them and I don't r-really know where I am and I'm too d-drunk to drive home!" She was surprised at her willpower, that she wasn't crying already, as she usually did when as drunk as she was.
The man's eyes widened, and he stepped forward, his eyes, dark and droopy, filled with sympathy.
"Hey, alright, calm down." He shook his head, as if to clear errant thoughts. "Damn, I'm drunk too, otherwise I'd give you a ride. Um... There's an ice cream place down the street. I know one of the employees, he'd probably be willing to give you a ride. You okay to walk?"
It was cold outside, wasn't it? Why was her face feeling so hot? She nodded slowly, feeling shaky. She bit her lip, refusing to cry at the man's kindness. "Yes," she answered.
"Alright. Come on, it's right down the street." He took the lead, and Juvia followed, keeping her eyes trained on his bare, muscular back as they dodged through the crowd, and maybe even trailing a bit lower, looking downward...
No! she chided herself as she stepped out of the way of a giggling girl. You can look at his butt after you're out of the house. Focus on not getting trampled.
He held open the front door for her, and she stepped out onto the driveway. The breeze had picked up, and she shivered, regretting the choice to leave her jacket at home. Noticing her discomfort, the man paused on his way down the driveway; with a sigh, he reached into his pocket, and drew from it a neatly folded black shirt. "I always bring extra," he explained, though that didn't explain why, as he held it out to her, not quite meeting her wide-eyed gaze.
She took it and pulled it on quickly, thankful for the warmth it provided. "Thank you," she murmured, her voice soft and slightly strangled, her eyes growing misty.
"Ah, geez, you're one of those crying drunks, aren't you? Don't cry over this, it's just a shirt. Come on." He pressed on, shaking his head, and Juvia trailed after him, wiping her eyes on the overlarge sleeves.
If Juvia was confused about why this stranger was going so far to help her, then she was utterly bewildered when he walked inside the brightly lit shop and strode straight to the counter. Heads turned to watch as they passed, and Juvia knew that they must have been quite the sight, the shirtless tsundere and the girl in stilettos and a shirt three sizes too big.
The man looked up at the menu, and Juvia tilted her head to one side, confused. Was he... Ordering something? Why?"
"Excuse me, but... Are you ordering?" she asked, stepping up to the counter beside him.
"I want some ice cream," he responded stubbornly. "You want any, or should I get you that ride?"
A smile quirked up the corners of his mouth, and Juvia flushed deeply. Was this a date? Was he asking her? On a date?
"I, uh, I mean, I... Guess?" Who was she to turn up an opportunity to go on an ice-cream date with this mysterious, shirtless hottie? Besides, as her stomach reminded her with an insistent growl, she was hungry. "I mean, yes. I'd like some. Thank you. Strawberry, please." She tried her best to keep her voice from shaking.
And that was how she ended up sitting at a table for two with a total stranger, taking spoonfuls of strawberry ice cream, watching as he dug into his vanilla sundae.
"I'm Gray, by the way," he said between spoonfuls. "Gray Fullbuster."
"Oh, um, I'm Juvia Locksar," she replied. He nodded, taking another fudge-covered spoonful.
When he next lifted his head to look at her, Juvia's lips pursed with the effort of not laughing at the splatter of fudge, dark against his pale skin, that dripped from his nose.
She looked around for a napkin, but couldn't find any. He still hadn't noticed the fudge on his face, and looked at her with confusion.
An absolutely crazy notion came to her mind, and she gasped.
"Somethin' wrong?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
She said nothing, leaning forward across the table, resting her palms on the edge. Her heart raced and her head buzzed with excitement—or maybe just the last vestiges of alcohol—and she looked right into his dark eyes, narrowed with confusion, with bright ones of her own, and she offered a smile just before her lips brushed his nose gently, wiping away the fudge.
She licked her lips as she returned to her seat, surprised that her ice cream hadn't melted in the face of the fire currently engulfing her body. Likewise, Gray blushed, and the redness spread to his ears and to his bare shoulders, his eyes wide with surprise.
"You had fudge on your nose," Juvia explained in a quiet voice, her voice breathy. Why did I do that? she wondered, though she didn't regret it in the slightest.
"Oh," he breathed, red as the cherry on top of his sundae. "I... Okay."
He didn't seem to be angry, or annoyed! Simply flustered. That was a start, wasn't it? She couldn't help but feel a little bit triumphant.
They spent the rest of the meal in silence, but not in an uncomfortable one, and Juvia would have to be blind to not notice the 'subtle' glances he kept sending her way. When they finally finished, he left her to find his friend, and she sat with a smile on her face, her cheeks pink. Erza's promise of cute boys had come true, though not in the way Juvia had expected.
When he returned, he was followed by a tall guy with silvery hair and a haughty look about him. "Juvia, this is Leon," Gray said. "He's going to give you a ride home."
"It would be my pleasure." Leon's voice was silky smooth and filled with self-confidence. "Are you ready to go? My car is parked out back."
She nodded, standing. "Oh, um, do you want your shirt back?" she asked Gray, and he shook his head.
"Nah, keep it. It's pretty chilly out there." He ran a hand through his hair, and then, shaking his head, reached into his pocket and pulled out a pad of paper. "Do you have a pen? I'll give you my number so you can give it back."
Blushing, Juvia handed him a pen from her purse, and he scribbled down his number. "Here. Call me."
"I will," she promised.
"So, when's the wedding?" Leon asked, a smirk on his pale face. Juvia squeaked, blushing so brightly she was surprised she wasn't glowing, and Gray punched Leon in the arm.
"Shut up," he growled. Turning to Juvia, he offered a smile. "Um... See you around?"
"Yes," she answered softly.
"Alright. Later." He turned and walked away.
Going to the party, Juvia thought as she sat in the backseat of Leon's car, clutching a note with a number on it to her chest, blushing profusely and feeling very happy, hadn't been so bad of an idea.